Here's an idea I just randomly thought of when I read your question:
Just imagine a guy (the guy dreaming) waking up (in the dream) in a white space. Everything is white and the guy walks and doesn't see anything. You could create a backstory for the character and one thing he could see in the white space could be someone he used to know (or someone/something he had lost) like his grandfather or someone close to him. He sees the person/thing and is confused as what to do/say. He walks around the person/thing. He starts talking but can't talk because no words come out.... IDK this is just a random idea lol
